Throughout the 20th century the world has been torn apart by wars. Unlike previous conflicts these “modern” wars involved more nations, took advantage of the technological improvements related to the Industrial Revolution, and engulfed the entire populations of the combatant nations. We are going to examine both the First and Second World Wars at the same time to find the common themes and differences that characterized each conflict.
Helpful Timeline with Links….Copy into your Wikispace 1914
June 28th - Assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand
August 1st- Germany Declares War on Russia
October 29th –Trench Warfare becomes dominant on Western Front
1915
May 7th- Lusitania is sunk by German Submarine (U-Boat)
1916
September 15th- British introduce the tank to the battlefield
1917
January 16th Zimmerman Note
February 1st- Germans begin unrestricted submarine warfare
April 6th- United States declares war on Germany
December 5th- Communist Russia reaches separate peace with Germany
General “Black” Jack Pershing leads the first of 1.8 Million American Soldiers
1918
October 4th- Germany asks for Armistice (cease fire)
November 11th- Armistice is signed bring an end to the fighting World Wide Influenza epidemic
1919
June 28th- Treaty of Versailles is signed with the League of Nations
1921 Extreme inflation hits German economy as they pay reparations
1922 Mussolini and his followers march on Rome
1923 Hitler launches a failed coup in Bavaria writes
Mein Kampf
1929
Stock Market Collapse in United States marking the beginning of Depression
1933
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
March 12th First Concentration Camp Opened
1934
June 30th Night of the Long Knives
1937
December 13th Rape of Nanking
1939
March 15th Nazis take Czechoslovakia through appeasement
September 1st Invasion of Poland using the Blitzkrieg
1940
June 22nd France force to sign armistice with Germany
September Beginning of the Blitz
1941
June 22nd Germany attacks Soviet Union a strategic mistake
December 7th Japanese attack Pearl Harbor drawing the United States into war
1942
September 13th Battle of Stalingrad a key turning point of the War
June 4thBattle of Midway another key turning point of the War
1943 Battle of the Atlantic Climaxes with many sinkings
1944
June 6th Normandy Landings Americans in France
August 25th Paris Liberated
December 16-27 Battle of the Bulge Last German offensive of the War
1945
Feb 13th Dresden Firebombed Many civilians are targeted by allies .
April 28th Mussolini Hanged
April 30th Hilter commits suicide
May 7th German’s Surrender
August 6th First Atomic bomb used on Hiroshima
September 2 Japanese Surrender
October 4th United Nations formed
World War I Alliances Triple Entente
France
Russia
England
USA
World War II Alliances Axis Powers
Germany
Japan
Italy
Allied Powers
Great Britain
United States
Soviet Union
France* Your Project!
In each of the following categories you will research and explain ONE critical point from each category. You must support and illustrate your answer with FOUR PICTURES and ONE OTHER PRIMARY SOURCE. Your answer and evidence must connect and cover the First and Second World Wars. You may submit an answer in one of the following formats.
1.)Microsoft Word Document with Answers, Pictures, and Primary sources on one page.
2.)Wikispaces page(s) on your account with Answers, Pictures, and Primary sources arranged in a way that completes the assignment. Please place a link to your page on the class wikispace so I can go visit yours!
Why these Wars Matter! Technology -Both conflicts featured many new inventions and weapons that were developed and improved throughout the first half of the twentieth century. These inventions included tanks, aircraft, submarines, better communications devices, radar, sonar, and many more. The introduction many of the inventions prompted improvements and innovations that continue through today. Critical Points- ·New technologies changed how war was waged Old techniques of fighting were decidedly ineffective against new tools. (chart the changes that armies made in how they fight ie. trenches vs. movement) ·Developments in weapons extended their range and effectiveness. (examine the improvements made to a weapon of your choice through both wars ie. The tank) ·Destructive capability increased so much that weapons became almost unusable because of their power.(Look at some of the most ghastly moments in both wars and make comparisons about the weapons that brought them about ie. Somme vs. Dresden
Total War-Both World Wars engulfed the civilian populations of the opposing sides. Civilians supported the wars through factory production and agriculture. Civilians were targeted by all sides as the wars progressed, and civilian opinion was critical to the continued war efforts. Critical Points- ·As men were mobilized for war, women’s roles on the home front expanded greatly(evaluate how production in both conflicts depended on women’s labor and support) ·Using blockades and the denying supplies of food as weapons was practiced by all sides. (examine the blockades or WWI with the mass starvation of WWII in Leningrad) ·Maintaining the war effort through propaganda was common and very important for morale.( compare the types of propaganda in both world conflicts)
Genocide-World Wars also allowed countries to propose and act upon solutions for portions of their populations that they could characterize as undesirable. From forced internal exile or relocations, mass executions and even extermination camps the First and Second World Wars changed how unwanted populations were treated. Critical Points- ·Racial and religious prejudice reached new heights in this period. Genocide became a “final solution” for several regimes during the Second World War. (Examine how the Armenians in Turkey were treated during WW I versus how the Jews were treated in WWII) ·Internal opposition was not tolerated during the First and Second World Wars. (How did America treat people of German descent during WWI and Japanese during WWII)
Authoritarianism- As the 20th century dawned much of the population of Europe lived under the rule of kings and monarchies. The World conflicts that characterized the first half of the century shattered these regimes and brought new powerful individuals to power. These dictators allowed little or no opposition and created powerful parties or systems to keep themselves in place. Critical Points-
Old monarchies and territories will fall apart in the face of rising nationalism and the forces of war Democratic ideals will be pushed aside as militarism becomes more widespread(Compare the governments and nations at the beginning of each war)
New forceful leaders will take power and implement their totalitarian ideas of government.(look at the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, or Tojo)
General Good Place to Start High School Media Center
Login-Gettysburg
Password-Warriors
Go the History Special Section and Type in “World War I or World War II”
This is a resource with many primary sources and links, use it!
American History
Mr. Sontheimer
Throughout the 20th century the world has been torn apart by wars. Unlike previous conflicts these “modern” wars involved more nations, took advantage of the technological improvements related to the Industrial Revolution, and engulfed the entire populations of the combatant nations. We are going to examine both the First and Second World Wars at the same time to find the common themes and differences that characterized each conflict.
Helpful Timeline with Links….Copy into your Wikispace
1914
June 28th - Assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand
August 1st- Germany Declares War on Russia
October 29th –Trench Warfare becomes dominant on Western Front
1915
May 7th- Lusitania is sunk by German Submarine (U-Boat)
1916
September 15th- British introduce the tank to the battlefield
1917
January 16th Zimmerman Note
February 1st- Germans begin unrestricted submarine warfare
April 6th- United States declares war on Germany
December 5th- Communist Russia reaches separate peace with Germany
General “Black” Jack Pershing leads the first of 1.8 Million American Soldiers
1918
October 4th- Germany asks for Armistice (cease fire)
November 11th- Armistice is signed bring an end to the fighting
World Wide Influenza epidemic
1919
June 28th- Treaty of Versailles is signed with the League of Nations
1921
Extreme inflation hits German economy as they pay reparations
1922
Mussolini and his followers march on Rome
1923
Hitler launches a failed coup in Bavaria writes
Mein Kampf
1929Stock Market Collapse in United States marking the beginning of Depression
1933
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
March 12th First Concentration Camp Opened
1934
June 30th Night of the Long Knives
1937
December 13th Rape of Nanking
1939
March 15th Nazis take Czechoslovakia through appeasement
September 1st Invasion of Poland using the Blitzkrieg
1940
June 22nd France force to sign armistice with Germany
September Beginning of the Blitz
1941
June 22nd Germany attacks Soviet Union a strategic mistake
December 7th Japanese attack Pearl Harbor drawing the United States into war
1942
September 13th Battle of Stalingrad a key turning point of the War
June 4thBattle of Midway another key turning point of the War
1943
Battle of the Atlantic Climaxes with many sinkings
1944
June 6th Normandy Landings Americans in France
August 25th Paris Liberated
December 16-27 Battle of the Bulge Last German offensive of the War
1945
Feb 13th Dresden Firebombed Many civilians are targeted by allies .
April 28th Mussolini Hanged
April 30th Hilter commits suicide
May 7th German’s Surrender
August 6th First Atomic bomb used on Hiroshima
September 2 Japanese Surrender
October 4th United Nations formed
World War I Alliances
Triple Entente
France
Russia
England
USA
Triple Alliance
Germany
Austria-Hungarian Empire
Ottoman Empire
World War II Alliances
Axis Powers
Germany
Japan
Italy
Allied Powers
Great Britain
United States
Soviet Union
France*
Your Project!
In each of the following categories you will research and explain ONE critical point from each category. You must support and illustrate your answer with FOUR PICTURES and ONE OTHER PRIMARY SOURCE. Your answer and evidence must connect and cover the First and Second World Wars. You may submit an answer in one of the following formats.
1.) Microsoft Word Document with Answers, Pictures, and Primary sources on one page.
2.) Wikispaces page(s) on your account with Answers, Pictures, and Primary sources arranged in a way that completes the assignment. Please place a link to your page on the class wikispace so I can go visit yours!
Why these Wars Matter!
Technology -Both conflicts featured many new inventions and weapons that were developed and improved throughout the first half of the twentieth century. These inventions included tanks, aircraft, submarines, better communications devices, radar, sonar, and many more. The introduction many of the inventions prompted improvements and innovations that continue through today.
Critical Points-
· New technologies changed how war was waged Old techniques of fighting were decidedly ineffective against new tools. (chart the changes that armies made in how they fight ie. trenches vs. movement)
· Developments in weapons extended their range and effectiveness. (examine the improvements made to a weapon of your choice through both wars ie. The tank)
· Destructive capability increased so much that weapons became almost unusable because of their power.(Look at some of the most ghastly moments in both wars and make comparisons about the weapons that brought them about ie. Somme vs. Dresden
Total War-Both World Wars engulfed the civilian populations of the opposing sides. Civilians supported the wars through factory production and agriculture. Civilians were targeted by all sides as the wars progressed, and civilian opinion was critical to the continued war efforts.
Critical Points-
· As men were mobilized for war, women’s roles on the home front expanded greatly(evaluate how production in both conflicts depended on women’s labor and support)
· Using blockades and the denying supplies of food as weapons was practiced by all sides. (examine the blockades or WWI with the mass starvation of WWII in Leningrad)
· Maintaining the war effort through propaganda was common and very important for morale.( compare the types of propaganda in both world conflicts)
Genocide-World Wars also allowed countries to propose and act upon solutions for portions of their populations that they could characterize as undesirable. From forced internal exile or relocations, mass executions and even extermination camps the First and Second World Wars changed how unwanted populations were treated.
Critical Points-
· Racial and religious prejudice reached new heights in this period. Genocide became a “final solution” for several regimes during the Second World War. (Examine how the Armenians in Turkey were treated during WW I versus how the Jews were treated in WWII)
· Internal opposition was not tolerated during the First and Second World Wars. (How did America treat people of German descent during WWI and Japanese during WWII)
Authoritarianism- As the 20th century dawned much of the population of Europe lived under the rule of kings and monarchies. The World conflicts that characterized the first half of the century shattered these regimes and brought new powerful individuals to power. These dictators allowed little or no opposition and created powerful parties or systems to keep themselves in place.
Critical Points-
Helpful Links-
World War I
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/
http://www.firstworldwar.com/
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ww1.htm
World War II
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WW.htm
http://www.ww2db.com/index.php
General Good Place to Start
High School Media Center
Login-Gettysburg
Password-Warriors
Go the History Special Section and Type in “World War I or World War II”
This is a resource with many primary sources and links, use it!
Readings-
The First World War